Alfred C. Soto

Alfred C. Soto was born on July 14, 1931, in Alliance. Nebraska to Concepcion & Mary Isabel Soto. He was the youngest of 5 children. Al lost his father at an early age but was always close to his mom. He couldn’t finish his education because he had work to help support the family. As a young man, he enjoyed playing sports such as football and baseball. He had a passion for cars that would become the base of his chosen profession.
He met his wife Jayne though his mom. Jayne would often visit Al’s mom and it was during one of those visits she met him. Eventually he asked her out and they dated a couple of years. Al joined the Army for a two-years. Al & Jayne decided to get married during his furlough and were married on August 26, 1954 in Alliance Nebraska. They traveled to different Army bases during that two-year period.
His last Army assignment was at Fort. Belvoir Virginia, just outside Washington D.C. He was assigned to the Pentagon where one of his duties included being a driver for some high-ranking officers. Corporal Soto was consistently requested because his car was always the most impeccably maintained automobile in the motor pool! It was there that their first child, Jeanne was born in 1955.
After receiving an honorary discharge from the Army, he thought he would like to live in northern California near where he had been stationed at Fort Ord, California. Al decided he wanted to be an auto body mechanic, so he enrolled in auto body school in Omaha under his GI bill. He drove to Alliance where his wife & daughter could stay with his mother while he went to school. While they were in Alliance, their second child, Randy was born in 1957.
After Al completed auto body school, he found a job as an auto body mechanic in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he lived and worked the rest of his life. He worked for Tyrrell’s Chevrolet for 25 years where he was laid off. Al decided to go into business for himself and Magic City Auto came into existence for over 30 years. He was an artist and perfectionist in everything he did, especial auto body work. He was one of the few mechanics in the tri-state area to work on corvettes when they were actually fiberglass. He was known for his attention to detail, fairness, and honesty. People from the tri-state area would bring their cars, trucks, motorcycles and boats for him to customize or repair. They would wait weeks for him to have an opening and he never advertised. He is one of the few people that truly loved what he did for a living and it showed in his work.
During that time the Soto family continued to grow and another son, Rob was born in 1962 and a second daughter, Terri was born in 1966. In 1962, they purchased a new home where they raised their four children and lived for 62 years. Al and his wife Jayne continued to reside in their home until his passing on November 15th. In the final years of his life, Al and Jayne took care of each other, not wanting to leave the home they built.
Al was a hard-working man who labored long hours to provide for his family. He showed that love by giving them the best he could provide for them. Almost everything he knew or did was self-taught. He was a true Do-It-Yourselfer whether it was repairing a car, water pipe, carpentry, fixing a toy or building a go-cart for his son.
Al was a family man who believed in his Catholic faith, God and his devotion to the rosary and Blessed Mother Mary. He deeply loved his wife, children and grandchildren and they loved him. Al will be exceedingly missed by his family and friends.
He is survived by his wife of 69+ years, Jayne, his adult children, Jeanne Soto, Randy Soto & wife Valarie, Rob Soto & wife Tina and Terri Wessenberg & husband Rich, his grandchildren Gina Griego & husband Steve, Sarah Wessenberg, Stephen Wessenberg and Matthew Soto; his great-grandchildren Brenden Griego and Brianna Greigo, and his oldest sister, Margaret Sanchez and several nieces and nephews. Al is pre-deceased by his parents Concepcion & Mary Isabel Soto, sisters Helen Vallejo, Mary Vallejo, and brother Albert Soto Sr.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the Veteran’s Administration or Davis Hospice Center - Cheyenne.